This invention relates to image processing method and apparatus for correcting a face image of a person having an eye being closed into the face image having the eye being open and outputting the thus corrected face image.
In photographing, a photograph having an eye being closed may in some cases be produced by blinking at the moment of shooting, or closing the eye when shot with an electronic flash and the like. Particularly in the case of a portrait photograph, the eye is an important element so that the photograph having an eye being closed is unfavorable in quality. Such a photograph may cause no problem if a retake is allowed; however, it is desirous to correct a failure created at shooting, if the retake is hardly allowed. To cope with the above-described problem, conventionally, a correction by retouch has been performed using a pen by a skilled person.
However, since the above-described conventional correction method by retouch using a pen depends on a manual operation of a skilled operator, correction work requires labor and time; hence, a problem that a photograph cost is increased is derived.